Michael G. Cunningham: An Arc of Quartets: String Quartets Nos. 1-7

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Release Date: 10th Mar 2017
Catalogue No: NV6081
Label: Navona Records
Length: 92 minutes

Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 1

Work length9:56

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Sirius Quartet
Recorded: 29 and 30 January 2016
Recording Venue: MixOne Studios, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

I. Easter Variations, Op. 10

Track length3:44

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II. Song & Fantasia, Op. 14

Track length6:12

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 22 "3 Satires"

Work length15:18

$3.00

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$5.25

Sirius Quartet
Recorded: 29 and 30 January 2016
Recording Venue: MixOne Studios, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

I. Brusque

Track length6:58

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II. Candidly

Track length3:02

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III. Crisp & Energetic

Track length5:18

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 69 'Partitions'

Work length14:37

$4.00

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Moravian Quartet
Recorded: 16 September 2016
Recording Venue: Reduta Hall, Olomouc, Czech Republic

I. Quarter Note = Circa 70

Track length3:37

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II.

Track length3:38

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III.

Track length3:31

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IV.

Track length3:51

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 4, Op. 117 'Interlacings'

Work length14:24

$4.00

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Pedroia String Quartet
Recorded: 27 October 2016
Recording Venue: MixOne Studios, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

I. Beginning

Track length5:09

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II. Scherzo

Track length2:22

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III. Adagio

Track length3:05

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IV. Finale

Track length3:48

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 5, Op. 137 'Aggregates'

Work length13:25

$3.00

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New England String Quartet
Recorded: 15 December 2011
Recording Venue: Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport, Massachusttes, United States

I. Zestful

Track length4:54

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II. Languid

Track length3:45

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III. Spirited

Track length4:46

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 6, Op. 215 "Digital Isorhythm"

Work length10:20

$3.00

$3.90

$5.25

Millennium Quartet
Recorded: August 2008 and March 2009
Recording Venue: ERMMedia Studios, Portsmouth, Virginia, United States

I. Caleando / Slargando

Track length3:44

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II. Canso

Track length3:45

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III. Energico

Track length2:51

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Cunningham, M: String Quartet No. 7, Op. 241 'Back Home'

Work length14:11

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Moravian Quartet
Recorded: 22 July 2016
Recording Venue: Reduta Hall, Olomouc, Czech Republic

I. Con carita

Track length4:39

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II. Andante

Track length3:29

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III. Vivace

Track length3:03

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IV. Con slancio

Track length3:00

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About
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About

As the title of this album suggests, An Arc of Quartets gives listeners unique access to a continuum of composer Michael G. Cunningham's intricate and inviting string music. Five international string ensembles present the album's seven compositions, including Sirius Quartet, the Moravian Quartet, the Millennium Quartet, the Pedroia Quartet and New England String Quartet. These groups' performances of Cunningham's work present the hallmarks of his style of string writing, which is defined by a focus on rhythm, melody, and texture, as well as his gentle yet often dissonant, harmonic language. Although these quartets contain a wide range of sounds and styles, Cunningham maintains a reliable attraction to tense, lyrical melodies, and energetic rhythms. One specific string effect that pervades these works is the glissando, or slide sound, that is produced easily on string instruments. In the middle of String Quartet No. 3, we can hear glissandi spangle an all-pizzicato section, while in the "Zestful" movement of String Quartet No. 5, these sliding gestures are decorated with a trill. This piece's marriage of Cunningham's typical style with uncontrollable, rhythmic energy marks it as one of the more abstract works on the album. Cunningham's quartets utilize special sounds as accents to a core of intriguing textures, evocative melodies, and momentum-building rhythms, all of which remain compelling throughout the album. The composer's impressive skill at creating musical lines is displayed particularly strong in the "Song and Fantasia" movement of his String Quartet No. 1, a piece defined by both soulful lyricism and intense contrapuntal motion.

Michael G. Cunningham: An Arc of Quartets

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